Car Accident

Tragic Car Accident Caused By Cell Phone Use

April 19, 2009 | By Dave Abels

In Houston, Texas five children drown when a car lost control and went down an embankment into the Green Bayou, according to CNN. The accident happened Saturday when the driver of a Lincoln Towncar veered off the road after being distracted by an incoming cell phone call.

The driver of the car was the father of four of the children killed. He and an adult passenger were able to get out of the car and rescue a 10 year old girl. However they were not able to save three boys that were ages 4, 6, and 7, and two girls that were ages 1 and 3.

It is also being reported that the driver did not pass a field sobriety test at the scene and was taken to a police station for a blood sample. If the driver was DUI, serious criminal charges will likely be filed.

Chicago Cops New Plan To Crack Down On Pedestrian Accidents

April 16, 2009 | By Dave Abels

In Chicago, Illinois a new plan is about to go into effect to cut down on pedestrian accidents at dangerous intersections, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago Police Officers are set to pretend to be pedestrians at certain intersections and they will be issuing tickets to drivers that fail to yield. The operation starts next week.

Fines for violations are to range from $50 to $500. The crackdown will start at the following intersections:

Division and Hoyne;

Cab Hits Restaurant Across From Daley Center – No Lawyers Injured :)

April 14, 2009 | By Dave Abels

In Chicago, Illinois an Ace taxicab crashed into a restaurant across the street from the Daley Center this afternoon, according to the Chicago Tribune. The taxi hit the popular Italian eatery Petterino’s at 150 N. Dearborn Street at about 1:45 p.m. No one inside the restaurant was hurt, however passengers in the cab did suffer injuries.

What caused the accident is not yet clear. A fire department spokesperson reported that the accident happened when the cab served to avoid another vehicle. However, the cab driver said he lost control when he was rear-ended by another car. One of the passengers said he was not sure what happened.

Luckily, the window table where the cab struck was empty at the time of the accident and the outside eating area was closed today. Petterino’s is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant. Try the Irv Kupcinet salad.

Angels Pitcher Killed in Car Accident By DUI Hit-And-Run Driver

April 12, 2009 | By Dave Abels

An auto accident has taken the life of Nick Adenhart, a rookie pitcher for the LA Angels, according to the Los Angeles Times and many other news outlets. The car crash occurred on April 9, 2009 just hours after Adenhart pitched six scoreless innings in his first game against the Oakland As.

The collision took place when a minivan ran a red light and struck a sports car that Adenhart was traveling in as a passenger. Two others in the vehicle were also killed. He was riding in a red Mitsubishi sports car. After the van hit them, the sports car crashed into a utility pole. One passenger in the sports car survived and is in an area hospital.

The driver of the minivan ran from the scene on foot and was caught by police a short time later. As the at fault driver was allegedly intoxicated, prosecutors in Orange County filed three counts of murder charges on Friday. He was also charged with leaving the scene of the accident and DUI. It is being reported that the defendant’s blood alcohol level was over three times the legal limit.

Chicago Man Sentenced To 5 Years In Deadly Illinois Car Accident

March 26, 2009 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago resident who allegedly caused a fatal car crash in Park Ridge on December 25, 2007 has been sentenced to five years in prison and fined $1,900, according to the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate. The defendant, age 30, pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI. He has been in custody since the time of the car accident and he will serve his remaining time at the Dixon Correctional Center. He was sentenced by Cook County Judge Garritt E. Howard.

The auto accident happened in Park Ridge at the intersection of Devon and Canfield just after 12:00 a.m. The defendant was eastbound on Devon when he rear-ended a Mitsubishi that was stopped at a red light. After hitting the vehicle, he then crashed into a childcare center at that location.

There were four occupants in the Mitsubishi and one of the passengers, a 20-year-old man from Chicago was killed in the accident. His family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Cook County, Case No. 2008-L-012975. The case is still pending and a trial date has not been set. The family is represented by a personal injury law firm located in Chicago.

Chicago Car Accident Injures 6 On Dan Ryan

March 23, 2009 | By Dave Abels

On the South Side of Chicago, a car crash involving two vehicles on the Dan Ryan Expressway caused both sides of the interstate to shut down, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Six people were injured in the Illinois car accident, and four were critical, when a SUV collided with a van in the northbound lanes of Interstate 94 around 71st Street just after 3 a.m. on Sunday. The van rolled over in the accident.

Six ambulances were called to the scene of the accident where they addressed the injuries sustained to the people involved in the accident. Of the four people critically injured, two were transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in Cook County, and two were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The two other people injured in the accident went to St. Bernard Hospital.

The cause of the crash has yet to be determined and is still being investigated by the Illinois State Police.

2 Chicago Auto Accidents Cause Multiple Injuries On Lake Shore Drive

March 20, 2009 | By Dave Abels

On the South Side of Chicago, two separate car crashes hurt four people this morning, according to Chicago Breaking News Center. Both collisions were in the northbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive. One accident that involved two cars occurred at 31st Street and LSD at around 6:15 am. The second accident took place a few minutes later around 27th Street. Both the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Fire Department responded to the accidents.

Three people in the first accident were reportedly seriously injured and taken by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. One other was injured and transported to Mercy Hospital. There were no injured reported in the 2nd accident.

The accidents caused a huge traffic backup and the police had to close the drive at 31st Street and divert cars off the highway until the accident could be cleared.

Chicago Police Officers Hit And Injured By DUI Driver

March 14, 2009 | By Dave Abels

Two Chicago Police Officers that were responding to a battery call on the Northwest Side early this morning were struck by a drunk driver, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The driver, a Chicago resident, was charged with DUI, negligent driving, making an improper left turn, and no proof of insurance.

The police officers were moving eastbound on Irving Park Road in the area of North New England Ave. when the defendant pulled off of a side street. The at fault driver was in a Ford Taurus and the police car was traveling with emergency lights and siren activated.

Both officers were injured and taken to local hospitals. One officer suffered a shoulder injury and the other sustained neck and back injuries. The officers were treated at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center. They are both said to be in good condition.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Obtains Insurance Policy Limits for Illinois Driver

March 12, 2009 | By Dave Abels

Chicago Auto Accident Attorneys from Abels & Annes have reached a policy limits settlement for an Illinois resident. The case arises out of an automobile accident which occurred on February 7, 2008 at about 10:00 a.m. The plaintiff was westbound on Armitage, just west of Keeler, in the City of Chicago. Our client stopped for traffic in front of him. As he was at a stopped,another driver rear-ended his car with great force. The impact was so substantial that it pushed his stopped vehicle into the vehicle stopped in front of him.

Our client was seen at West Suburban Hospital Emergency Department on February 9, 2008. He was complaining of shoulder and neck pain following having been rear-ended in this automobile collision. His pain had been increasing over the two days since the collision. A history was taken and an exam was performed. Muscular spasms were found. He was instructed to not work and was prescribed pain medication and instructed to seek follow-up care.

On February 12, 2008 the plaintiff sought follow up care with a chiropractic physician in Chicago. He was suffering from headaches and neck pain that radiated to his left shoulder/arm and low back pain. He had suffered injuries when he was rear-ended, and his symptoms had progressively worsened over time. Diagnostic tests were ordered and a course of therapy was prescribed. He was instructed to stay off work. The doctor ended up keeping him off work through February 24, 2008, during which time period our was “totally incapacitated”.

In Chicago, Illinois SUV Hits Viaduct Killing Driver And Injuring 3 Passengers

March 3, 2009 | By Dave Abels

A single car accident on the South Side of Chicago just before 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night has resulted in the death of it’s driver and severe injuries to three passengers, according to WBBM News Radio. The SUV, a Chevy Blazer, crashed into a viaduct. The vehicle was moving northbound on South California Avenue, just south of its intersection with West 31st Street at the time of the accident. At least two of the men involved in the accident were reportedly trapped in the SUV. The viaduct, which is just north of the Chicago River, supports railroad tracks.

Emergency crews responded to the scene where they found the SUV wrapped around the support of the viaduct and they then extracted two of the occupants. The driver and one passenger were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital. The other two passengers were taken to Stroger Hospital. The driver was pronounced dead a short time after the accident. The passengers were reportedly in critical condition.

From the perspective of a Chicago personal injury attorney, it has been my experience that passengers riding in an at fault vehicle sometimes mistakenly believe that they do not have a claim. For example, in the above case, while it is tragic that the driver past away, the three injured passengers can still make a claim against the driver’s insurance company. Further, because all three passengers’ injuries were severe, the driver may not have enough insurance to cover the loss. If that is the case, the passengers will have the right to make an under-insured motorist claim against their own insurance policies.